1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved graphical user interface in a data processing system and in particular to a method and system for the automatic storage of an object within a container object within a graphical user interface in a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for the automatic storage of an object within a container object within a graphical user interface in a data processing system in response to completion of utilization of the object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data processing systems commonly utilize graphical user interfaces to enable users to interact with the data processing system and manipulate the activities and functions available to the users. Users may select, through the graphical user interface, a particular activity to perform utilizing input devices such as a keyboard or a "mouse." In a graphical user interface, activities such as "print document" or "select a document" may be represented to the user in the form of function keys graphically displayed on the computer display screen and selected by striking a particular key on the keyboard, or as icons to be selected utilizing a graphical pointing device such as a "mouse." A pointer, or mouse cursor, on the display screen is typically utilized to represent the current location of the "mouse." By moving the "mouse," a user may move the pointer, or mouse cursor, around within the computer display screen.
An object may be graphically represented to a user as an "icon" utilizing the graphical user interface. An object is an item which may be manipulated as a unit. Objects may be of three types: device, data, or container. A device object may be manipulated to perform a selected task such as typically performed utilizing a physical or logical device such as a printer, mouse, or facsimile machine. For example, a "printer" device object may be manipulated to print documents or text. Data objects may include documents or text, such as created utilizing word processing applications. Container objects are typically objects into which other objects may be stored. Therefore, objects may be stored together in a container object and manipulated as a unit by manipulating the container object.
Container objects, commonly called "folders," are typically provided as part of a graphical user interface. These "folders" may be iconically represented as a traditional filing folder and may be utilized to group, or "store," other objects in a way which is meaningful to a user. Such "folders" typically require a user to perform some action in order to select, locate and "store" objects within the "folder." Some known container objects may also be manipulated to perform user specified activities utilizing the objects stored within the container object. For example, a user may specify that all objects stored within a selected container object be printed.
A graphical user interface may display multiple icons which represent objects. A user may utilize an object by positioning a mouse cursor over the icon representing the object, and clicking a mouse button to "open" the object. Once an object is opened, the contents of the object appear displayed in a window.
A window is an area of the graphical user interface with visible boundaries within which information is displayed. Windows typically include a border completely surrounding the window, a status line indicating the name of the window or application being displayed in the window, various buttons to be utilized to maximize or minimize the size of the window, and pull-down menus which may be accessed by selecting a display element. Windows also typically appear in a color or shade different from the color or shade of the background of the graphical user interface in order to distinguish the window from the rest of the graphical user interface.
Once an object is opened, a user may then utilize the object, such as by revising the text of an object created by a word processing application. Once a user has completed the utilization, the user may store the revisions and "close" the application at which time the window will disappear.
A container object may be utilized to group objects. A user may utilize an object grouped within a container object by first "opening" the container object, viewing the contents of the container object, and then selecting and "opening" an object, as described above, stored within the container object. A user may utilize an object stored within a container object without actually removing the object from its container object. Once the user has completed utilization of the object, the user may "close" the object. When the object is closed, the window utilized to display the contents of the object will disappear, and the object remains stored in its container object throughout the utilization of the object.
A user may desire to first remove an object from its container object before utilizing it. In this case, a user must first "open" a container object, and then select and remove the object from its container object. The object may then be utilized. Once the object is removed from its container object, it is no longer associated with the container object. Therefore, when the object is "closed," it is no longer stored in its original container object. Once the object is "closed," it is stored in its current location. Its current location may be in a different container object, or in the graphical user interface independently of any container object.
It should therefore be apparent that a need exists for a method and system for the automatic storage of an object within a container object within a graphical user interface in a data processing system in response to completion of utilization of the object.